Eugen Schuhmacher
Encyclopedia
Eugen Schuhmacher (August 4, 1906 – January 8, 1973) was a German zoologist and pioneer of animal documentaries. Besides Bernhard Grzimek
and Heinz Sielmann
he belongs to the German documentary filmmakers with an international reputation.
, Germany
. His career began in the early 1930s with educational and cultural shortfilms about the wildlife in South America
and the German Reich. In the next four decades he made documentaries (feature length and shortfilms) about animals, the Inca
culture, and the indigenous people from North America
, South America and Papua New Guinea
. This movies were awarded at festivals in Berlin, Venice
and in Cannes
. His movie Natur in Gefahr (Nature in Danger) from 1952 is an alerting report of the destruction of the nature paradises and the extinction of species. His feature film In the Shadow of the Karakoram (Im Schatten des Karakorum) received the German Film Prize for best documentary in 1955. In 1958 he discovered the German television for his work and he made one of the first German television series about endangered species. 37 episodes of On the Track of rare Animals (Auf den Spuren seltener Tiere) were shot, a series which has taken the audience on a journey to Galapagos, Papua New Guinea, Africa
, and other exotic places. This series was very popular in German television. In 1966 he finished his movie project The Last Paradises: On the Track of Rare Animals
, a film which had taken seven years to make. It was awarded at the Mountain Film Festival at Trento
in 1967. Schuhmacher has died at age 66 of cancer in Munich
, Germany
. His last movie Europas Paradiese (Europe's paradises) had its premiere after his death.
Bernhard Grzimek
Bernhard Klemens Maria Grzimek was a renowned Silesian-German zoo director, zoologist, book author, editor, and animal conservationist in postwar West-Germany.-Early years:Grzimek was born in Neisse , Upper Silesia...
and Heinz Sielmann
Heinz Sielmann
Heinz Sielmann was a world renowned wildlife photographer, zoologist and documentary filmmaker....
he belongs to the German documentary filmmakers with an international reputation.
Biography
Eugen Schuhmacher was born in StuttgartStuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. His career began in the early 1930s with educational and cultural shortfilms about the wildlife in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and the German Reich. In the next four decades he made documentaries (feature length and shortfilms) about animals, the Inca
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
culture, and the indigenous people from North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, South America and Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. This movies were awarded at festivals in Berlin, Venice
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
and in Cannes
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
. His movie Natur in Gefahr (Nature in Danger) from 1952 is an alerting report of the destruction of the nature paradises and the extinction of species. His feature film In the Shadow of the Karakoram (Im Schatten des Karakorum) received the German Film Prize for best documentary in 1955. In 1958 he discovered the German television for his work and he made one of the first German television series about endangered species. 37 episodes of On the Track of rare Animals (Auf den Spuren seltener Tiere) were shot, a series which has taken the audience on a journey to Galapagos, Papua New Guinea, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, and other exotic places. This series was very popular in German television. In 1966 he finished his movie project The Last Paradises: On the Track of Rare Animals
The Last Paradises: On the Track of Rare Animals
The Last Paradises: On the Track of Rare Animals is the title of a German nature documentary from 1967. It was filmed by Eugen Schuhmacher and Helmuth Barth.-Background:The filming began in spring 1959...
, a film which had taken seven years to make. It was awarded at the Mountain Film Festival at Trento
Trento
Trento is an Italian city located in the Adige River valley in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. It is the capital of Trentino...
in 1967. Schuhmacher has died at age 66 of cancer in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. His last movie Europas Paradiese (Europe's paradises) had its premiere after his death.
Selected movies
- 1955: Im Schatten des Karakorum
- 1967: The Last Paradises: On the track of Rare animals (Die letzten Paradiese)
- 1973: Europas Paradiese
Selected books
- 1968: The Last of the Wild: On the track of Rare animals (with Gwynne Vevers ; Winwood Reade), Collins, London, 1968
- 1968: The Last Paradises: On the track of Rare animals, DOUBLEDAY & CO, INC. New York
- 1970: Alaska: Vast Land on the Edge of the Arctic (with Heinrich Gohl), Kümmerly & Frey Geographical Publishers, Berne, Switzerland